Polara Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1969 by Herbert F. McGaffey, who envisioned a company supplying a broad range of electromagnetic components of the highest performance and quality for commercial-industrial, aerospace, defense and military applications.

Mr. McGaffey's engineering experience spans over three decades of electronic engineering technology. He established Skyborne Electronics in 1958, a firm which became known as Sprague/Skyborne in 1963, and Alladin/Skyborne in 1966. From the outset, Skyborne was at the forefront of electronic component technology as a premier supplier of delay lines, high frequency inductors, special filters and pulse transformers for major military products. Thus Skyborne served as the technological platform from which Polara was launched.

In 1996, after 30 years devoted primarily to electronic product design and manufacturing, Polara divided its delay line and electromagnetic component manufacturing into a separate division in order to focus on the issues of Equal Access to Information and Freedom of Mobility for all people. In its quest to provide all people with Equal Access to Information at signalized intersections, Polara Engineering introduced its first accessible signal in 1997.

In 1998, Polara Engineering developed its own line of pedestrian push buttons because a highly reliable, long life ADA style button was not available to use on our own Tactile Pedestrian Indicator models. Our market research found that cities were looking for a 2" style ADA compliant button that was not susceptible to moisture, had a longer life than typical microswitches, and was not susceptible to vandalism. Soon after the introduction of our line of pedestrian push buttons, the "Bull Dog" pedestrian push button, a non-moving, pedestrian push button, was released in 2001.

In 1999, after 3 years of research and development, Polara released The Navigator APS (Accessible Pedestrian Signal), a highly reliable, vandal resistant Accessible Pedestrian Signal that provides a vibro-tactile ADA compliant 2" push button with a raised directional arrow and audible sounds during all the pedestrian cycles.

In August of 2003 Polara once again set the standards for APS's by introducing the 2 Wire Navigator System. This design offers significantly advanced features, performance and ease of installation.

In its quest to provide all people with Equal Access to Information at signalized intersections, Polara Engineering continues to strive to improve and advance the field of accessible pedestrian signals.